Question- Describe an instance where you, as an audience member at a live production, broke one of these ettiquette rules (listed in the post below) OR some other violation that effected your enjoyment of the production. IF you haven't been to that many live productions recently, you may use a movie audience as your example.
-Tim
PS- sorry about the seperate blog posts. Blogspot is doin' some weird stuff of late!
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Ettiquette
THEATRE ETIQUETTE-
1) ARRIVE EARLY- Always arrive at the theatre at least 15 minutes prior to the performance. This way, if the event is general admission seating (as many performances are) you can choose a good seat and don't get stuck with a bad view or behind the guy wearing the huge hat and the lady wearing ten pounds of perfume!
Also, coming in early allows you to enter the "world of the play" (which will be discussed in a future chapter of the text) by hearing pre-show music ,seeing the scenery, and having a bit of time to read your program.
Many theatres also will not allow you to enter once a performance is in progress, so always allow yourself enough time to make it.
2) TURN OFF YOU CELL PHONES!- This is a big one! You know how annoying it is to hear cell phones ringing in a movie? TWICE as bad in the theatre, as it not only throws the audience, but potentially interferes with the work of the performers. Turn them off, or at the very least, silence them.
3) NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY / VIDEO TAPING- Should be self explanatory. Flash photography is a MAJOR distraction to both audience and performers alike, AND can be potentially dangerous to the performer (imagine momentarily blinding them and having them walk into a wall or off the stage! It can happen...)
Video taping is generally not allowed due to copyright laws, and it to can be terribly distracting for other audience members.
4) BRING CHILDREN TO AGE APPROPRIATE SHOWS ONLY- This one may be more of a personal issue, but age appropriate doesn't only refer to language and situations. How about LENGTH?very many five year olds who can sit still for two hour? Not me. There is PLENTY of great theatre for kids out there. Don't bore them to death with adult themes they can't yet comprehend. MANY is the adult who claims to hate theatre because he or she was drug to a three hour Shakespeare play when they were in the second grade. If it isn't appropriate for the kids, leave them at home. If you're not sure, call the theatre, and in most cases one of the staff can give you their opinion on age appropriateness.
5) DON'T LEAVE THE THEATRE IN MID-PERFORMANCE (unless absolutely necessary)- Most plays are divided into two acts, separated by a ten to fifteen minute intermission. Use this time to call home, take a bathroom break or stretch your legs.
6) TRY NOT TO TALK EXCESSIVELY - Sometimes you may want to discuss the show with a friend, but try to wait till intermission or AFTER the show to do this. Theatre is much more about LISTENING than seeing, and if you can't hear cause the guy next to you is jawing too loudly...
 |
| Working, the Musical- BCTC Summer 2007 |
(at left, a shot of BCTC's summer production of WORKING the musical)
When a person goes to the Theatre, it is a different experience than, say, going to a movie or a sporting event. One isn't just a PASSIVE participant, but an active one. However, there are some guidelines that should be followed that those who don't often frequent the Theatre might not know. Here is a list of some items we might file under "Theatre Etiquette". Please note that these guidelines are NOT to suggest that Theatre is some stiff, upper-crust experience and that one must behave like a church mouse. Quite the contrary. But, in order for the LIVE theatre experience to unfold as it should, and to ensure that both audience and actors alike have a pleasing experience, these guidelines are good ones to follow.
1) ARRIVE EARLY- Always arrive at the theatre at least 15 minutes prior to the performance. This way, if the event is general admission seating (as many performances are) you can choose a good seat and don't get stuck with a bad view or behind the guy wearing the huge hat and the lady wearing ten pounds of perfume!
Also, coming in early allows you to enter the "world of the play" (which will be discussed in a future chapter of the text) by hearing pre-show music ,seeing the scenery, and having a bit of time to read your program.
Many theatres also will not allow you to enter once a performance is in progress, so always allow yourself enough time to make it.
2) TURN OFF YOU CELL PHONES!- This is a big one! You know how annoying it is to hear cell phones ringing in a movie? TWICE as bad in the theatre, as it not only throws the audience, but potentially interferes with the work of the performers. Turn them off, or at the very least, silence them.
3) NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY / VIDEO TAPING- Should be self explanatory. Flash photography is a MAJOR distraction to both audience and performers alike, AND can be potentially dangerous to the performer (imagine momentarily blinding them and having them walk into a wall or off the stage! It can happen...)
Video taping is generally not allowed due to copyright laws, and it to can be terribly distracting for other audience members.
4) BRING CHILDREN TO AGE APPROPRIATE SHOWS ONLY- This one may be more of a personal issue, but age appropriate doesn't only refer to language and situations. How about LENGTH?very many five year olds who can sit still for two hour? Not me. There is PLENTY of great theatre for kids out there. Don't bore them to death with adult themes they can't yet comprehend. MANY is the adult who claims to hate theatre because he or she was drug to a three hour Shakespeare play when they were in the second grade. If it isn't appropriate for the kids, leave them at home. If you're not sure, call the theatre, and in most cases one of the staff can give you their opinion on age appropriateness.
5) DON'T LEAVE THE THEATRE IN MID-PERFORMANCE (unless absolutely necessary)- Most plays are divided into two acts, separated by a ten to fifteen minute intermission. Use this time to call home, take a bathroom break or stretch your legs.
6) TRY NOT TO TALK EXCESSIVELY - Sometimes you may want to discuss the show with a friend, but try to wait till intermission or AFTER the show to do this. Theatre is much more about LISTENING than seeing, and if you can't hear cause the guy next to you is jawing too loudly...
7) RESPOND APPROPRIATELY- Actors live for audience response, but only if it's appropriate. If someone is in the midst of pouring out their soul in a dramatic monologue, and someone in the audience starts laughing, this can be very frustrating for audience and actor alike. We love it when we get laughs, but preferably in the right places.
8) HAVE A GOOD TIME / SUSPEND YOUR DISBELIEF- We'll discuss suspension of disbelief in detail later in Ch 1, but suffice it to say it involves letting go and accepting the world of the play. If you can get past the feeling that "it's only a play", Theatre can be a very real, visceral experience for you. Above all, enjoy your time at the Theatre. Theatre is, at its core, a celebration of life. Open up your senses, dive in and enjoy yourself.
Monday, June 17, 2013
PAPER GUIDELINES
Guidelines to follow when writing your papers for this course:
GENERAL FORMAT (both play reviews and script reviews)
Your papers should be:
* a minimum of two pages
* typed and double spaced
* nothing larger than a 12 font
* sent to me via my email address in a document. (NOT in the body of the email)
The papers should include your name and the word "online" as a heading in the upper right hand corner. NO COVER PAGE is necessary. Utilize a simple "Introduction / body/ conclusion" format when crafting your papers.
PAPERS ON SCRIPTS:
Papers should be based on the following:
a) Plot * a note on this! Keep this area to one or two small paragraphs. DO NOT make the entire paper a synopsis of the plot!
b) Characters * note- discuss the main or principal characters of the piece. What did you like or dislike about them? How do they effect the story? Are there any peripheral characters discussed that we never see or hear from but who still have an impact on the story?
c) Theme * note- this is YOUR INTERPRETATION. There is no right or wrong, so long as you can back it up.
d) Difficulty to produce * note- imagine you run a Theatre and want to produce this play. What would make it difficult to do so? Some examples of this:
- Large cast (more than ten characters)
- Age of characters (are there any children in the cast or elderly people? Is it a cast of 70 year olds?)
- Multiple locations (would you have to build elaborate sets or change scenery every other scene)
- Language ( Is there a lot of cursing or offensive language? Are there stron ethnic or regional dialects?
CRITIQUES OF LIVE PERFORMANCES:
These papers should, very simply, be based on your opinion of the shows you attended. What did you like or NOT like, and more importantly WHY! It's not enough to say "The play was Great...I loved it" or "The play stunk! I hated it!". You must tell us what you loved or hated. This is strictly YOUR OPINION. There is no right or wrong, so long as you can articulate why you did or did not appreciate the performance.
Some areas you might want to address:
* Acting
* Technical elements (scenery, lighting, costumes, etc)
* Plot (but DO NOT make the papers a retelling of the plot! This is a great way to make a bad grade on this assignment. Simply discuss whether you thought the plot was interesting, moved at a good pace, was clear and easy to understand, etc.)
* Audience reaction- How did the audience at this event affect the outcome? Were they into the show and reacting, or were they lifeless, or rude, etc...
The due date for these papers is on the syllabus!! All must be sent to my email address AS A DOCUMENT, not in the text of the email.
If you have any questions regarding these assignments, use the comment function of this posting to ask them, and I'll reply with all due haste.
Guidelines to follow when writing your papers for this course:
GENERAL FORMAT (both play reviews and script reviews)
Your papers should be:
* a minimum of two pages
* typed and double spaced
* nothing larger than a 12 font
* sent to me via my email address in a document. (NOT in the body of the email)
The papers should include your name and the word "online" as a heading in the upper right hand corner. NO COVER PAGE is necessary. Utilize a simple "Introduction / body/ conclusion" format when crafting your papers.
PAPERS ON SCRIPTS:
Papers should be based on the following:
a) Plot * a note on this! Keep this area to one or two small paragraphs. DO NOT make the entire paper a synopsis of the plot!
b) Characters * note- discuss the main or principal characters of the piece. What did you like or dislike about them? How do they effect the story? Are there any peripheral characters discussed that we never see or hear from but who still have an impact on the story?
c) Theme * note- this is YOUR INTERPRETATION. There is no right or wrong, so long as you can back it up.
d) Difficulty to produce * note- imagine you run a Theatre and want to produce this play. What would make it difficult to do so? Some examples of this:
- Large cast (more than ten characters)
- Age of characters (are there any children in the cast or elderly people? Is it a cast of 70 year olds?)
- Multiple locations (would you have to build elaborate sets or change scenery every other scene)
- Language ( Is there a lot of cursing or offensive language? Are there stron ethnic or regional dialects?
CRITIQUES OF LIVE PERFORMANCES:
These papers should, very simply, be based on your opinion of the shows you attended. What did you like or NOT like, and more importantly WHY! It's not enough to say "The play was Great...I loved it" or "The play stunk! I hated it!". You must tell us what you loved or hated. This is strictly YOUR OPINION. There is no right or wrong, so long as you can articulate why you did or did not appreciate the performance.
Some areas you might want to address:
* Acting
* Technical elements (scenery, lighting, costumes, etc)
* Plot (but DO NOT make the papers a retelling of the plot! This is a great way to make a bad grade on this assignment. Simply discuss whether you thought the plot was interesting, moved at a good pace, was clear and easy to understand, etc.)
* Audience reaction- How did the audience at this event affect the outcome? Were they into the show and reacting, or were they lifeless, or rude, etc...
The due date for these papers is on the syllabus!! All must be sent to my email address AS A DOCUMENT, not in the text of the email.
If you have any questions regarding these assignments, use the comment function of this posting to ask them, and I'll reply with all due haste.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Information of scripts you must read for class
1- You must select a total of three scripts to read for the course.
2- Each script MUST meet the following criteria-
* The script MUST be a FULL LENGTH script (a minimum of TWO acts, usually around 80-100 pages)
* It can be any genre EXCEPT a musical. You can go see a musical to fulfill your live performance requirements, but you may NOT read one!
* The script MUST have been written AFTER 1940. Thus, no SHAKESPEARE, MOLIERE, Greek, etc.
3- After you read the script, you will post a brief synopsis (two paragraph) of the script on the Blackboard discussion board. You must ALSO write a full length paper on the script, to be turned in at the due date listed on the syllabus. (Paper criteria forthcoming).
If you have any questions, please let me know ASAP.
Thanks!
Tim X
2- Each script MUST meet the following criteria-
* The script MUST be a FULL LENGTH script (a minimum of TWO acts, usually around 80-100 pages)
* It can be any genre EXCEPT a musical. You can go see a musical to fulfill your live performance requirements, but you may NOT read one!
* The script MUST have been written AFTER 1940. Thus, no SHAKESPEARE, MOLIERE, Greek, etc.
3- After you read the script, you will post a brief synopsis (two paragraph) of the script on the Blackboard discussion board. You must ALSO write a full length paper on the script, to be turned in at the due date listed on the syllabus. (Paper criteria forthcoming).
If you have any questions, please let me know ASAP.
Thanks!
Tim X
Thursday, May 16, 2013
CH 1
* The word THEATRE comes from the Greek theatron, or "seeing place" - the companion term DRAMA comes from the Greek work dran, meaning "to do". Thus we can surmise that THEATRE = something seen and something done. An ACTION is witnessed.
* Three primary ways to use the word THEATRE
a) The Theatre Building - The actual space where theatre takes place. The primary concerns are a place to perform and a place to watch. There are 4 different staging configurations (we will cover this in depth is Ch 5)
b) The Company of Players / Troupe/ Ensemble/ etc - Theatre is a collaborative art involving often hundreds of people working together to create a whole product. These people are often refereed to collectively as the troupe or ensemble. They are the people who do the...
c) ...WORK - The occupation of Theatre. When one asks a layman to define the primary occupation of the Theatre world, they tend to name the actors first and foremost. However, the work of the theatre involves much more than the folks onstage. The number of crafts involved includes:
- Producing
- Directing
- Designing
-Building
- Crews
-Stage management
- House Management
- Publicity / marketing
- Playwrighting
* Impersonation- Theatre involves actors impersonating characters. This is a unique feature to the art form. It is the one element that sets Theatre apart from other art forms.
* Performance- A performance is defined as "an action or series of actions taken for the benefit of an audience". Live performance is the ultimate endgame in the theatrical process.
* Suspension of disbelief- Where the audience agrees to tune out the outside world and enter the world of the play.
* Fourth wall- the invisible barrier that exists between and separates the actors from the audience.
We make use of two different types of performance.
a) Presentational (Direct) - Performers acknowledge the presence of the audience.
EXAMPLES- Stand up comedy- Shakespearean "asides" (where, in mid-conversation, one character would break the fourth wall and speak directly to the audience) - Greek tragedy was (and often still is) performed in a presentational style that was aimed directly at the audience.
b) Representational ( Indirect)- The actors behave as though no audience is present. In effect, the audience becomes a voyeur, looking trough the invisible fourth wall to watch someones life as it unfolds.
* Live performance/ immediacy- Possibly the main element that makes live theatre unique (as opposed to film and television) is that it is LIVE. It's happening now- there are no stops/ starts, no do-overs. Thus, anything can happen.(sometimes bad things, such as actors losing lines or missing entrances- sometimes glorious things, such as an audience being moved in unison in a strong emotional way.)
This leads to a quality of immediacy. Although most of the changes that occur from production to production are minuscule, there ARE differences. Thus, Theatre is a TRANSITORY art form- it happens once, and then it is never quite the same again. One of the primary elements that leads to this unique feature is the audience. In Theatre, unlike film, the audience is an ACTIVE PARTICIPANT. It is incumbent on the audience to listen, pay attention and respond in ways that film and TV 9though fine mediums in and of themselves) DON'T demand of us.
Discussion-
Your book discusses ART and how Theatre is an art form.
Here's your discussion topic-
a)What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of the word ART?
b) What makes something ART or artistic?
c) Do we Americans living in the 21st century VALUE Art in our society? Why or why not?
Friday, August 17, 2012
WELCOME
Below, a moment from BCTC's production of "Dark of the Moon".
Greetings members of my THA 101 online course. When instructed, this is where you will come for lecture notes and occasional discussion of theatrical events. I will also post a calendar of events and pictures pertinant to the class discussions. When posting, you need not have a blogspot membership. Just click on the "name" button, type in your name, and post your comment. But PLEASE remember to put your name on the comment, so I'll know who's who!
Glad to have you onboard, and HERE WE GO!
Greetings members of my THA 101 online course. When instructed, this is where you will come for lecture notes and occasional discussion of theatrical events. I will also post a calendar of events and pictures pertinant to the class discussions. When posting, you need not have a blogspot membership. Just click on the "name" button, type in your name, and post your comment. But PLEASE remember to put your name on the comment, so I'll know who's who!
Glad to have you onboard, and HERE WE GO!
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